Houthis To Escalate Assaults on Merchant Ships In The Red Sea

Yemen’s Houthi militants have vowed to intensify their attacks on merchant ships, significantly raising risks for vessels navigating the Red Sea and Suez Canal trade route.

The Iran-backed group recently declared it would target ships from companies engaged in trade with Israel, regardless of the company’s nationality. This move is framed as a response to the ongoing developments in Gaza.

We understand that even ships not directly calling at Israeli ports could be attacked if its carrier operates services that involve Israeli calls on other loops.

Major ocean freight carriers, including Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM, Yang Ming, and ONE, have been urged to proceed with “extreme caution” as they now face an increased risk of being targeted.

This escalation comes after the Houthis announced in late May they would suspend their near 18-month assault on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, opting instead for a blockade on the port of Haifa.

However, in early July, the Houthis resumed attacks, sinking two bulk carriers. The Greek-owned Magic Seas was hit by gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades on July 6th, sinking in the Red Sea.

The following day, the Houthis attacked the MV Eternity C, a Liberia-flagged vessel delivering aid from Somalia. The attack involved sea drones and RPGs, causing significant damage and resulting in the kidnapping of the crew.

Needless to say, a return to the Red Sea route for Asian services seems to be as far away as ever.